Sunday, January 27, 2013

Additional helps come from all sort of resources. Books, text, libraries (remember what those are?), court houses, museums, historic landmarks...etc....etc... and etc. Two additional blogs that I have started are intended to be of help. The first is:

http://tjgresearchnotebooks.blogspot.com

(intended to give an outline to my collection of genealogical research over the past 53 years)

and second:

http://tgj3rs.blogspot.com

(intended to give my opinion of those "Readings", "References", and "Resources" which have been the most helpful in my own JONES surname tree climbing.)

The first blog is essentially an index (outline) of the topics/subjects that have been collected over the past 53 years. They begin with Wales and then move on to other subjects that have been part of my JONES surname tree climbing. This blog can be searched using the spot identified for searching. This will give a general idea of the subject matter (thus resource) contained within the notebook identified by "RN #" which stands for "Research Notebook", and the number (#) that it has been given. As you might imagine, I have quite a few. [Over 300 now and counting!] There are surname groups, history, chronologies, and many other topics that have been helpful for me doing genealogy. They also contain my own family research and documentation of this endeavor.

The second blog is intended to give the reader a view of the readings, references, and resources [thus the "3 R's"] that have been helpful to me. Not everyone would agree of course, but these are things (mostly books) that have provided much in the way of brick wall destruction.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Time travel has its difficulties. Names, places, locations, streams, creeks, and all sorts of geography can change. This often generates a great deal of confusion when reading wills, deeds, surveys, land grants, and historic records from the time period that you are traveling...or wish to travel. Finding early maps that give this information can be very helpful in breaking down some of those brick walls.

The following is an example of an early map of Kentucky. It was published 1784 and presents the major landmarks, settlements, roads, and waterways into this "dark and bloody ground".

The picture is focused around my own area of interest. [Written a book on Walker Daniel and the naming of Danville, KY] Here the path of the "Wilderness Road" is given as it approaches the geographical center. Kentucky's first Constitution was framed and adopted here.

Col. Shelby's station is clearly shown on the map. [Issac Shelby was the first governor of Kentucky.]
I can go to his cemetery today and see this geographic location. It is essentially a landmark in time. I know that standing here, I am located in time upon this map. I have a physical location from which to work. A present landmark found on a map more than 200 years old! Which way to one of my brick walls? I have a place to start...an early landmark.